Battle of Bo Wan Po

The Battle of Bo Wan Po occurred in 202 AD during the war between Cao Cao and Liu Bei. Liu Bei's new strategist, Zhuge Liang, succeeded in defeating Cao Cao's army through a series of tricks and stratagems, buying time for Liu Bei's army to retreat and survive annihilation.

Cao Cao sent Xiahou Dun with 100,000 troops to attack Liu Bei at Xinye, and Liu Bei gave command of his army to Zhuge Liang, who obtained the reluctant loyalty of Liu Bei's sworn brothers Zhang Fei and Guan Yu. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were each given 1,000 men and placed on the left and right sides of the Bo Wan Po, respectively, and they were ordered to burn the enemy's supplies. Meanwhile, Guan Ping and Liu Feng would launch a fire attack as Cao Cao's forces approached, and Zhao Yun would lead the vanguard to lure the enemy into an ambush. When Xiahou Dun arrived at Bo Wan Po, he selected 50,000 troops to serve as the vanguard while the other half guarded the supplies. Zhao Yun came to challenge Xiahou Dun, who pursued him across the river after Zhao Yun feigned defeat. Xiahou Dun was lured into a valley, where, as his subordinate Han Hao had predicted, he was ambushed by Liu Bei's soldiers with a fire attack. Zhao Yun then turned around to attack the enemy, and Xiahou Dun was wounded and forced to flee. Next, Zhao Yun lured Han Hao into an ambush by Guan Ping's unit, and Han Hao was also defeated. The third step was luring Yu Jin's unit across the river, and the overconfident Yu Jin charged into an ambush set by Guan Yu, leading to his defeat. Finally, as Cao Cao's army began an all-out assault from their castle, Zhang Fei took down his supply depot in the castle, throwing Cao Cao's army into disarray. Liu Bei's forces proceeded to attack the burning castle, and Cao Cao was forced to flee. Liu Bei's victory led to Zhuge Liang becoming a widely respected strategist, known for his brilliant strategies.